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The ACC Tournament is set to continue with Round 3 action on Thursday in Washington DC.
North Carolina, Pitt, Duke and Virginia will all be playing their first games of this tournament on Thursday. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils are the top-2 favorites to take home the tournament crown after a dominant showing during the regular season. NC State and Boston College both enter Day 3 in position to pull off another upset — and potentially earn the right to play for a 4th straight day at the ACC Tournament.
Here’s a look at the slate for Day 3 of the event, followed by 3 best bets:
Game 8: Noon – No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Florida State (ESPN/ESPN2)
North Carolina makes its first appearance in the ACC Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Noles are coming off a big win over Virginia Tech, but would need to run the table in order to make the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels are playing for something, too — a good weekend in Washington DC could land them a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. Carolina swept the regular season series against FSU.
Spread: North Carolina -10.5
Total: 153.5 points
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2:30 p.m. – No. 4 Pitt vs. No. 5 Wake Forest (ESPN/ESPN2)
Aside from the championship game, this will probably end up being the single most impactful contest for the entire ACC Tournament. The winner picks up a much-needed Quad 1 win and advances to the semi-finals for another potential Quad 1 opportunity. The loser goes home, almost certainly relegated to the NIT. These teams split the regular season series, with each home team coming away with a win.
Spread: Wake Forest -2.5
Total: 144.5 points
7 p.m. – No. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 NC State (ESPN/ESPN2)
This is Duke’s first game of the ACC Tournament, while NC State will be playing for the third straight day. The Wolfpack earned a win over Louisville on Tuesday and then Syracuse on Wednesday. In addition to the ACC Tournament title, the Blue Devils are playing for the possibility of earning a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. Duke defeated NC State 79-64 in Raleigh on March 4.
Spread: Duke -10.5
Total: 148.5 points
9:30 p.m. – No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 11 Boston College (ESPN/ESPN2)
Virginia is the No. 3 seed in this tournament, but the Cavaliers will need to win this game to have any hope of reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers have struggled mightily offensive over the past month and find themselves squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble entering the weekend. Boston College has begun the ACC Tournament with wins over Miami and Clemson in back-to-back days. Virginia defeated BC 72-68 on the road earlier this season.
Spread: Virginia -4.5
Total: 124.5 points
Note: All odds above are via FanDuel unless otherwise noted.
Here are 3 best bets for Wednesday’s ACC Tournament matchups:
2 picks
North Carolina -10.5. The Tar Heels are coming off of their best regular season to-date under Hubert Davis as they took home the ACC’s regular season title in dominant fashion. UNC has advantages all over the court, but especially on the offensive side of the ball. Carolina scored 21.4% of its points at the foul line this season, and FSU’s defense sends opposing offenses to the charity stripe at an alarming rate (335th nationally). UNC was also the best offensive rebounding team in the ACC during the regular season — and the Noles were dead last in the conference in that category. Facing a tired FSU team, I think Carolina should be able to win this one by double digits. FanDuel currently has UNC -10.5 priced at -110.
21+ and present in NC. Gambling problem? Call 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.
PRE-REGISTER!Duke -11.5. I went again the Wolfpack on Wednesday and got burned, but I’m doing it again here. I have a hard time believing NC State can keep this up for a 3rd consecutive game — especially against a physical Duke team. The Blue Devils have a significant edge on the offensive side of the ball, particularly behind the 3-point line. NC State’s big edge so far in this tournament has been at the free throw line, but that hasn’t really been a reliable source of offense for the Wolfpack all season. Star guard DJ Horne is also coming off of a hip injury, although he was able to play against Syracuse on Wednesday. FanDuel is offering Duke -10.5 at -120. Other books such as DraftKings are listing Duke -11.5 at a price of -110.
1 player prop
RJ Davis over 20.5 points (via DraftKings at -110). North Carolina has already faced Florida State twice this season, and RJ Davis excelled in those matchups. He scored 27 points in the first meeting and 24 points in the second meeting. This should be a relatively high-possession game, and UNC figures to pick up some extra opportunities along the way as well. Florida State is dead last in the ACC in defensive rebounding rate during conference play. Carolina, on the other hand, is the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the ACC. Davis has gone over this total in 17 of 31 games overall and in 5 of 6 neutral-site games.
21+ only. NC only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
